It's been interesting to see the degree of magical thinking and arbitrary rules that have developed around masks over the past year. I do not doubt for a second that N95 masks will be highly effective if worn properly, but I've remained unconvinced that the idea that a flimsy ill-fitting surgical mask is anything more than a political totem. If anything, these cloth masks give people a false sense of security for being lax on social distancing rules. Same thing goes for arbitrary distance recommendations (e.g. 6ft vs 3ft) for inclosed spaces.